Battery lifter



April 11, 1950 F. E. BROWN 2,503,794

\ BATTERY LIFTER Filed June 11, 1946 Inventor Attorneys Patented Apr. 11 1950 ss-rarem I ,Ba'rfrERY L FTER.

I Felix E. Brown; Bethlehem, Pa: M Application: June 11, 1946, semi No. crease 1' exam; (01. 294-102) This invention relates to "a battery lifter and has for its primary object to facilitatefthe lifting and carrying of stor'age'batteriesl' or accumulators of types commonly employedin the electrical systems of motor vehicles.

Another object is automatically to clamp the terminal posts of a storage battery or accumulater, and sustain the battery suspended by the clamps and posts, and to facilitate the rapid and convenientr disengagement of the clamps from the terminal posts when so desired.

4 Among its features myinven-tion embodies a pair of .battery post engagingclamps; each. of which comprises a substantially L-shaped clamp jaw one leg of which is of a width greater than the opposite leg, the wider leg of each clamp jaw having a shallow substantially V-shaped notch in its free end for receiving a battery post, a battery post embracing clamp ring loosely fitted on the narrower leg of the clamp jaw to slide longitudinally thereof and swing in a limited arc thereabout, and a strap of flexible non-conductive material of a width substantially equal to the I wider leg of the clamp jaw secured to the narrower leg of the clamp jaw in spaced relation to the wider leg thereof to cooperate with the wider jaw in restricting movement of the clamp ring longitudinally of the narrower jaw.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a battery and terminal post thereof, showing this improved battery lifter in place thereon,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through a battery post and clamp jaw showing the clamp in battery sustaining position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the manner in which the clamp may be loosened,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the L-shaped clamp jaw, and I Figure 5 is a perspective view of the clamp ring showing the L-shaped clamp jaw in place therein inbroken lines.

Referring to the drawings in detail a battery I is shown as equipped with a terminal post II and it is to be understood that a like post is carried by the battery adjacent its opposite end but in the present illustration only one end of the battery is disclosed.

My improved battery lifter designated generally l2 comprises a pair. of clamps designated generally 13 each of which comprises an L-shaped clamp jaw I 4, one leg l of which is wider than the opposite leg l6 and formed with a shallow V-shaped notch I! in its free end to provide two point contact with the terminal part of a battery.

The clamp jaw M- is'stamped from a sheet metal blank, and the narrower leg [6i thereof is curved as at l8 at its free end to avoid chafing ofthe lifting strap, to be more iully hereinafter described. Formed in the narrower leg. [6 0-1 the jaw Hi are longitudinally spaced rivet receiving openings [9 through which. rivets 20' are. adapted to. extend. Formed at the junction of the narrower andwider legs of the jaw lli intermediate the side edges thereof is an upstruck'reinforcing rib 2| which serves rigidly to hold the legs l5 and It in. proper angular relation and aid them to resist' bending under the weight of the battery.

Mounted; to' slide longitudinally on the narrower reg ft of the clamp "jaw I4 is a clamp ring designated generally 22 which comprises an elongated body 23 having at one end a rounded portion 24. This body is also formed with an elongated opening 25 which extends longitudinally thereof and terminates in a rounded portion provided with inwardly projecting teeth 26 at one end of the body 23 for penetration of any incrustation which may accumulate on a battery part. The opposite end of the elongated opening 25 is formed with laterally extending notches 21 forming shoulders 28, the purpose of which will more fully hereinafter be explained. I

In assembling the device a clamp I3 is riveted by means of the rivets 20 to opposite ends of a strap 29 of flexible non-conducting material having a width substantially equal to the width of the wider jaw l5. It will thus be seen that the strap 29 may be used as the lifting handle l2 so that the device may be handled as a unit. The clamp ring 22 will then be confined between the end of the strap 29 and the leg l5 of a clamp jaw It so as to have limited pivotal movement on the narrower leg l6 of the clamp member M, with the shoulders 28 engaging the front or exposed face of the narrower leg I6 so as to hold it in proper projected relation to the notch IIin the leg l5. The dimensions of the notch 21 are such as to permit a limited pivotal movement of the ring 22 about the narrower leg [6 so that when the clamp I3 is in position to embrace a battery post I I the clam ring 22 will fall by gravity into the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 so as to cooperate with the walls of the V-shaped' notch H in gripping the post II. The end of the clamp ring 22 which projects beyond the end of the leg I5 is preferably bentdownwardly as illustrated in order that when a lift is exerted on the strap 29 the teeth 26 will bite into the post II and thus cooperate with the walls of the notch H to firmly clamp the device about the post. Consequently,

the greater the strain on the strap or handle l2, the tighter will be the grip of the clamp 13 about its respective battery post. As soon as the battery has found its resting place, downward pressure on the strap 29 will throw the parts into the position illustrated in Figure 3, thus rocking the clamp jaw l4 about its pivotal connection with the clamp ring 22 so that the walls of the notch I1 will disengage the post and the device may be then lifted off of the battery without requiring the use of a hand other than that manipulating the strap 29. I It is to be understood that the distance from the apex of the V-shaped notch I! to the junction of the legs l5 and I6 is so determined as to produce maximum strength of the unit and govern the angle of the entire unit so as to permit the use of a minimum material for the lifting strap.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to'without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. I claim as my invention:

battery lifter comprising a pair of battery 'post engaging clamps each of which comprises a "substantiall L-shaped clamp jaw one leg of which is of a width greater than the opposite leg, the wider leg of each clamp jaw having a shallow substantially V -shaped notch in its free end for receiving a battery post, an elongated bat- 3,. F: 2, 0 ,794 v. t: t

tery post embracing clamp ring the opening through which is of lesser size than the width of the narrower leg of its respective clamp jaw, said ring having opposed notches adjacent one end for the reception of opposite side edges of the narrower leg of its respective clamp jaw slidably to support the clamp ring for limited pivotal movement on the said narrower leg of the clamp jaw andin a position for cooperation with the walls of the V-shaped battery post receiving notch in gripping a battery post, said ring having internal teeth therein at its other end, said other end being bent downwardly so that the teeth will incline upwardly and inwardly of said ring and bit upwardly into the battery post, a strap of flexible non-conducting material fixed to the narrower leg of the clamp jaw in spaced relation to the wider leg thereof to serve as a lifting handle and limit the distance the clamp ring may move away from the wider leg of the clamp jaw and the end of the narrower leg of the L-shaped clamp jaw remote from the wider leg thereof curving away from the strap as its end is approached.

FELIX E. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

" UNITED STATES PATENTS 

